Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon D810 is a Semi-Pro DSLR camera with a 36.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Samsung NX1 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 28.0MP APS-C sensor. Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious altenatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting. Fortunately, you can't go wrong with any of these cameras as we rank them amongst Top 10 cameras in their classes. Nikon D810 is ranked #7 out of 89 Semi-Pro DSLR cameras with an overall score of 89 whereas Samsung NX1 is ranked #7 out of 30 Pro Mirrorless cameras with an overall score of 90.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon D810 and Samsung NX1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D810 and Samsung NX1. Samsung NX1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 7mm narrower, 21mm shorter and 16mm thinner than Nikon D810.

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D810 and Samsung NX1.

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Samsung NX1 is significantly lighter (430g ) than the Nikon D810 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Nikon D810 has a Full frame sensor and Samsung NX1 has a smaller APS-C sensor, Samsung NX1's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Nikon D810 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D810

NX1

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D810

NX1

Min

Average

Max

Nikon D810 vs Samsung NX1: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D810 has a 36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features EXPEED 4 processor. On the other hand, Samsung NX1 has a 28.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features DRIMe 5 processor. Nikon D810's sensor provides 8MP more than Samsung NX1's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another similarity between these two cameras is that both Samsung NX1 and Nikon D810 sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the D810 and NX1 sensor size comparison.

As seen above, Nikon D810 has a 2.3x Larger sensor area than Samsung NX1. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Nikon D810 and Samsung NX1 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D810 and Samsung NX1 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Nikon D810 has an advantage over Samsung NX1. There are 286 lenses for Nikon D810's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 32 lenses for Samsung NX1's Samsung NX lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 88 lenses for Nikon F mount and 7 lenses for Samsung NX mount with IS.

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon D810 and Samsung NX1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects.
Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon D810 and Samsung NX1 scores compare:

Nikon D810

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #6 out of 92 in Mid-size SLR camerasRanked #12 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Samsung NX1

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #4 out of 49 in SLR-style mirrorless camerasRanked #10 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Samsung NX1 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon D810. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that NX1 trails behind the D810: Imaging If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Nikon D810. If not, we recommend the Samsung NX1.